What is Rolfing?

Rolfing is a system of body education and physical
manipulation originally called structural integration. It is
named after the founder, Ida Rolf, PhD, and you can read more about her
in the next
section.

Here's a description of Rolfing from Dr. Andrew Weil, a medical doctor
who is famous for bringing alternative medicine to the American public:

"Named after Dr. Ida P. Rolf,
Rolfing is often referred to as 'structural integration.' It
is not simply
massage, it is a system of deep manipulation of the connective tissues
that
aims to restructure the fascia (the sheath of tissue that surrounds a
muscle)
and relieve physical misalignment. Basic Rolfing consists of a series
of 10
sessions, each focusing on a different part of the body.
The practitioner
applies firm, and sometimes even painful, pressure via fingers and
elbows. The
result? You may become more in touch with your body, experience less
pain and
stress, improve your posture, even release repressed emotions and
diminish
habitual muscle tension. People who have experienced Rolfing often find
an
improvement in their professional and daily activities."

Why Ten Sessions?

Rolfing
is normally done in a series of ten sessions of variable length. Each
segment of the process is both a continuation of the previous one and
an introduction to the next. The body is systematically
manipulated during this initial series of ten sessions, each of which
lasts about an hour. Some
people choose to schedule their sessions once a week, others once a
month, or as frequently as twice a week. The cost per session varies
nationally from $110 to $250, according to local
economics and the experience of the Rolfer. For Karin's rates, please see: Your First Visit.

Rolfing's
series of ten session is designed to uncover a structural ease and
kinetic
balance that is unique to each client. Rolfing cannot accurately be
described as therapy or as a returning of the body to a "natural" state
from which it has deteriorated. Rather, it is a process of education in
which a Rolfer seeks to help a client discover the most efficient way
of using his or her body, given the limitations, liabilities, and
virtues of that body. In fact, the 10 session series is not a formulaic
recipe, but rather a guide which is fully customized for the
needs
of each particular person. However, there are certain landmarks which
every
Rolfer follows in each Rolfing series, and you can read about these in
the session descriptions that follow.

This drawing is based on actual photos
of a real client as
she progresses through the 10 Rolfing Sessions. Observe that
the
various lines approach horizontal throughout the first 7 sessions, at
which point we've progressed to the bigger goal of helping the body
actually use those new horizontal lines. In particular,
notice
that her head rises forward out of her body in the beginning. Like the
yoke on an ox, this position makes the weight of the head feel like a
burden. Notice that she gains a little height as she learns
to
allow her neck to rise up tall.

I See Rolfing as...

a way to optimize the entire body

a reminder that everything can change, even things that
have been a certain way for years

an opportunity to have positive changes that ripple out
into other
aspects of life

Ida Rolf believed that the highest purpose of
Rolfing is
"the evolution of the individual."